Horseman and Running Page (painting, verso; calligraphy, recto), folio from an album c. 1560

Editor: This miniature painting, "Horseman and Running Page," attributed to Qadimi, is just lovely! The horse leaping off the page creates such drama, but something about the page’s expression feels almost comical. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, doesn't it whisper of a world far removed from our own, almost dreamlike? I get a sense of courtly life, perhaps a prince out for a hunt, with the pageboy scurrying to keep up. Notice the stylized figures, the delicate lines… does it remind you of anything? Editor: It does have a fairytale quality to it. I guess I was focusing too much on the surface level details! Curator: Exactly! And that border, practically humming with calligraphy—it all adds to the story, don't you think? I wonder what tales it could tell. Editor: I hadn't even considered the calligraphy as part of the narrative! Thanks, now I am wondering too.